BEIJING -- China confiscated around 110 million illegal CDs and DVDs in 2006, according to the Ministry of Culture.

Related readings:    Germany urges EU to work with China over piracy   IPR official lashes out at US WTO action  Chinese writer sues US movie giant over copyright  China tightens anti-piracy enforcement  New ruling to snare more pirates  1.8m discs seized in piracy raid Bo: China wants to keep trade surplus down  China wages war against piracy

The ministry sent out five million people to inspect 4.16 million venues, seizing pirated and pornographic products.

One hundred and twenty million counterfeit audio and video products and 500 million unauthorized books are produced in China every year, according to the General Administration of Press and Publications.

On April 5, the Supreme court lowered the threshold to prosecute people who manufacture or sell counterfeit products, stipulating that anyone who manufactures 500 or more pirated software and audio-video products can face a prison term of up to three years.

From 1994 to 2005, China confiscated 1.5 billion illegal publications, of which more than one billion were pirated discs and 88.23 million were pornographic DVDs. More than 40,000 illegal printing houses and 221 production lines have been closed down.